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Saturday, August 27, 2011

Paint a picture with fabric or Romero Britto in cotton

A long time ago I found a picture of a painting in some magazine and loved it so much I tore it out and carried it in my wallet. It was a colorful painting of a boy reading a book ...

I knew I could not copy it on canvas, as my painting skills remain at a level of a house, a flower and a snowman, but thought I could reproduce it in fabric somehow. Years later I watched the show of Bethenny Frankel, when I saw the painting she gifted to her husband to be and new immediately it was by the same artist. As I found out, the painter is Romero Britto and all his paintings are virtually painted for those like me - color lovers with zero ability to paint but love of fabrics.

I decided to make one of his works for my mom's birthday and chose this one ...

I uploaded the photo saved of the internet to BLOCKPOSTERS.COM and made sure it will print in a size I want. Once printed, I cut off the sides of the pages to make the poster and sealed it together with a clear tape ...

Afterwards, I cut up the poster to trillion little pieces. Be careful here, because you have to add the black line to either one of the bordering pieces and once in a puzzle form, it gets a bit hectic! Being this my first puzzle painting I cut up the entire poster at once, but I suggest you go step by step - bottom to top to avoid spending hours googly eyed figuring out where each piece belongs as I did ...

I sorted the pieces by color and by pattern and rummaged through my fabric stash to pick and choose the fabrics. I had to buy many quarters, as I wasn't able to find the pattern I liked or the one that would match. As you see, the vase rests on two different patterns as a base. You will need the most of these two fabric. I chose a blue and black polka dot and a grayish blue flowery kind for the base.

I measured the size of the poster and cut these fabrics to coordinate the size of painting I wanted.

And now the most tedious part ... piece by piece I ironed a two sided heat-and-bond to the fabric, I used my puzzle piece to trace the shape and cut it out.

Look at this chaos ...

Trying to figure it all out without a headache ....

The fun part ... putting it all together one ironed press at a time ...

YAY .. almost ready ...

Lastly, just zigzag through the entire thing line by line by line as in any applique, sew sides to it so it can be stretched to a wooden frame ....

HAPPY belated BIRTHDAY MOMMY!

I am so thrilled the way it turned out, I can't wait to start our bedroom picture ...

Which one shall I do???

Kisses?????

Or "Tonight"????

Lo(Lo)V(i)E to you all from Slovakia,

LV

P.S. Will post the painting hanging on mom's wall, but still waiting for a gentle-man to hang it for us ...